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I didn't know how to handle the news. I was so excited to finally get married and settle down and actually have someone who would constantly be there for me, only to discover that the person who was supposed to actually be there for me was never actually there.
After walking in on my fiance literally in the act of cheating on me - with my sister, no less - I knew I had to get out of there. I'd been wandering the streets of New York for a little over two hours, but I wasn't afraid. I was fucking pissed as hell. I knew that no one would mess with me along the bustling streets of Manhattan, even if it was past one in the morning. The streets were relatively safe, safer than most people assumed, it was me who wasn't safe, because my thoughts were getting dangerously angry. I didn't think the most rationally when I was angry, and I normally ended up hurting people without realizing it.
I knew I wasn't exactly thinking rationally when I stumbled out of the sudden downpour of rain and into an Irish pub, with plenty of open seats for me to take. I sulked over to the nearest seat open at the bar and plopped down. The bartender, a big burly man with a buzz cut of blonde hair, walked over to me, looking at me sympathetically.
"Bad day?" he asked, and I could tell from his accent that he wasn't from here, though I had no clue where he was from. I laughed humorlessly.
"You have no idea," I told him, opening my purse and taking out my MasterCard. "Open a tab and don't let me go home until I've forgotten how much I hate today," I told him and he laughed lightly, swiping my card and returning it to me. "Scotch," I told him, and he nodded, returning with a glass filled with the amber drink. I downed it, loving the burn on the way down, and was quickly rewarded with another glass of the same liquid.
I don't remember how many glasses later it was, but I do remember that when I began to start saying things I knew I probably shouldn't, a familiar face came in. As I was swallowing some more of the addictive beverage, I felt someone sit next to me. I looked up to be greeted with a flash of red hair and a sad smile.
"Hello Mikey," I said sullenly. I should've known Michael would've come looking for me, he was considered one of my best friends after all. He was the first person I called when I found out, but I thought I remembered telling him to leave me alone for today.
"Do you know how worried I've been about you?" he asked me quietly, and I rolled my eyes at him, finished off my drink and motioning for another one to be brought over to me. Michael frowned when he saw what I had in front of me. "Don't you think you've had enough, Y/N?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't really think anyone cared about me," I mumbled while grabbing my drink and swallowing some more of it. I was feeling the burn less and less and I was determined to gain some of that physical pain back.
"You know that's not true," Michael said, his frown deeper than ever. I laughed again, but this time I could hear the desperation and pathetic tone in my voice. I continued laughing at him as he continued frowning at me.
"Nobody cares about me, Mikey. Nobody cares about me or loves me or wants me around," I told him, taking another swig, and feeling a slight burn on the way down. I saw Michael open and close his mouth several times over the course of the next few minutes while I finished off my drink. I felt his warm hand placed over my knee and I looked up to hazily meet his sad eyes.
"That's absolutely not true, Y/N. Believe me, there's someone out there who loves you a lot more than he should. More than you know," he said with such sincerity in his voice that I stopped for a moment to just look at him.
I'd thought for a while I'd had some underlying feeling for Michael, but I've always pushed it aside, knowing I was set to be married. But the way Michael was looking at me now combined with the alcohol swirling around in my stomach and the knowledge that I was no longer tied down to a man, all I wanted to do was get up on him right now. I shook my head, both trying to clear my thoughts and indicate that I thought Michael's previous statement was incorrect.
